The flokati, also known as the velentza, is a fluffy, shaggy, warm rug made from 100% wool. It has its roots in the Pindus mountains, and its history goes back to the 5th century. Not long ago, in the profile of a company selling striking rugs from all over the world, we were struck by the special mention given to flokati rugs. Out of all the types of rugs it sells, the company took particular pride in its trade in flokatis.
The truth is, however, that our very own traditional Greek flokati has long been featured in many articles and homes around the world. In Greece we may associate it with “traditional” houses in the villages, but outside Greece the flokati is more often courted for the idea of a warm, welcoming décor, even in the most modern urban homes.
From the Pindus to Homes All Over the World
The making of the flokati dates back to the 5th century AD, when the Vlachs of Samarina began to use the wool of their sheep to make garments and coverings that would protect them from the low temperatures of the winter months. At some point they left one of their coverings for two days in the rivers of the Pindus mountains, and noticed that the wool on the underside had felted, while the wool on the upper side had unfurled and fluffed up. That was the first flokati! After its discovery, the flokati survived in the villages of Greece for hundreds of years, and its use gradually spread and expanded: as a blanket, a mattress, a rug, even an article of clothing.
With the arrival of tourism in Greece in the 1970s, foreign visitors became acquainted with the customs and traditions of the locals, and among them our traditional flokati, which in this way began its journey to living rooms around the world, especially in America.
The Flokati Today…
All over the world, the flokati remains a decorative and practical element that showcases the beauty of tradition, history and handcraft.
Sometimes part of a contemporary decorative scheme, at other times complementing a retro or rustic décor, it is a timeless trend, inseparably linked with Greece.
Let’s look at some examples of how it appears in modern homes!
Photos 1-2: decorpad.com | Photo 3: idliving.x10.bz | Photos 4-5: designinthewoods.blogspot.com
Photos 1-2: eclecticrevisited.wordpress.com | nesma-modernhouse.blogspot.com
Photos 3-4: loft4027.com | shagmodernrugs.blogspot.com
Photos 1-2-3: thisnext.com | apartmentherapy.com | topbrandcloseouts.com
Did You Know?
• Wool, as a raw material, makes the flokati particularly durable, and means it can be cleaned of dust with a simple shake. At the end of the season it will most likely need washing in the bathtub, which you can do yourself.
Although flokatis come in many shades, their original colour is off-white, and they are dyed afterwards.
Its quality is a function of its weight.
Today you can find synthetic flokatis on the market, but they are of lower quality than authentic wool flokatis.
Text: Natasa Lianopoulou
Source: flokati.com
